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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

It's Not Just the NDAA - It's Happening Now

There's a lot of talk about the current National Defense Authorization Act of 2011, NDAA, currently in House/Senate reconciliation.  This is the bill that gives the administration the authority to use the Military to arrest and indefinitely detain American citizens on American soil.  Retired US Marine 4-Star Generals Charles Krulak and Joseph Hoar wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times urging the president to veto this bill.
Some claim that this provision would merely codify existing practice. Current law empowers the military to detain people caught on the battlefield, but this provision would expand the battlefield to include the United States — and hand Osama bin Laden an unearned victory long after his well-earned demise.
With one small difference - use of the regular military - it's here now.  Arctic Patriot wrote in "It Can't Happen Here" about a friend of a friend who has been arrested in an armed SWAT raid in front of his children, and wife, while staying at AP's friend's house.  This man is being held in prison with no charges and no arrest and no prospect of release.  AP's link is to Patriot's Lament, who writes "It Won't Happen in America - Yeah, Well It Just Did" (on Dec 6):
I have 8 children, all of them watching the scene unfold before their eyes. Dozens of agents wearing body armor and carrying machine guns, swarm around our house.
I think over my options, (there is only one, they kill kids) and I walk to the door, and yell loud enough for the thugs outside and my family inside to hear, "It's the FBI , don't be scared, just be quiet and sit down!" I open the door and am looking at Michael Anderson's wife. They have her in front of them, between us, and she is crying.
The last update to the story was this past Monday:
Michael had his hearing today, a week after his arrest. Still no charges. He was not released and no bail was allowed. He will be flown to Anchorage in cuffs and made to testify at a grand jury. He was promised, (insert very loud laughing here) that he will be released afterwards and will be free to go.
I don't see a whole lot of difference between being held without charges in a prison in Anchorage than in a prison in Gitmo.  It's a chilling story, especially in the context of the NDAA containing wording that says if you have more than a seven days worth of food, or some amount of "weather proof" ammunition, you might be considered a terrorist, taken away and held without access to any legal way out.  

4 comments:

  1. And, the scum used the man's wife as a shield. The only thing lower than that is shooting the man's wife, like Lon Horiuchi did to Vicky Weaver.

    Yes, it is already happening. We have a government out of control operating a police state, on the Federal, state, _and_ local levels. Nonetheless, we still need to resist such incursions as the NDAA, or we send the message that we are perfectly happy with our chains. I know that is not what you are advocating, SG, I'm "just sayin' ".

    We have gotten to where we are terrorists because they say so - most notably now, simply because we protest (DOD definition of "low-level terrorism").

    My wife has directed me not to hesitate, if ever faced with a similar scenario. Of course, we are older, with no children involved. I am not faulting Anderson or his friend. But it has to stop somewhere, even if stopping it requires some futile gestures first.

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  2. It is not only happening now but has happened before. The Bonus Army, the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, the Watts Riots, the Civil Rights era, Waco, Hurricane Katrina.

    Too many conservatives think the military is some kind of benevolent Pretorian Guard. One needs only to look at the Milgram Experiment to see that good people can and do follow even the most horrid orders.

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  3. Excellent points, both of you. I understand your point, Reg; Mrs. Graybeard and I are pretty close to the same agreement. Seremzh, some of those things you mention have been topics here before.

    When this first came up a few weeks ago, GardenSERF said that it was no worse than other laws going around up there, and I've heard sitting senators say the problem isn't this bill, it's that this bill hardly changes existing law at all.

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  4. Here is what needs to happen"

    --Post in public places--
    Whereas, on the 14th of December, 2011, the House of Representatives of these United States voted in favor of indefinite military detention, without charges, of any American, anywhere, anytime, without due process of law, at the discretion of the government alone;

    Whereas, on the 15th of December, 2011, the Senate of these United States voted in favor of the same bill;

    Whereas, the proscription against the use of military force to police the populous has been an essential feature of American civic life and civic liberty since the arrival of our civilization upon this continent;

    Whereas, the wanton violation of this proscription was one of the chief causes of the separation of the American peoples from their government in Great Britain;

    Whereas, the Constitution so chartering the government of these United States does not grant this power;

    Whereas, the Constitution forbids the addition of any power not enumerated to the general government;

    Whereas, the use of such draconian measures has been an essential feature of the enforcement of tyranny by totalitarian governments of the 20th century, including, but not limited to, the Nationalist-Socialist government of Germany, the fascist government of Italy, the government of the United Soviet Socialist Republics, and the government of Vietnam;

    Whereas, the use of such draconian measures is carefully calculated to quash all political dissent amongst a captive people;

    Whereas, the codification of such draconian measures effectively nullifies all civil liberties the people may hope to hold;

    Whereas, the codification of such draconian measures are the last act in the quest to hold a people captive to the rapacious will of their government without recourse;

    And whereas, the codification of such draconian measures is an act of war against the populous at large;

    Therefore, be it declared that a STATE OF WAR formally exists between the Government of these United States and the People of these United States.

    We, the People of these United States, declare any and all attempts to enforce the provisions of HR 1540 to be unlawful, void, and of no force.

    We, declare ALL WHO voted in favor of HR 1540, and ALL WHO attempt to enforce HR 1540 to be traitors to these United States, punishable under law.

    We, SHALL DISOBEY, APPREHEND, OR RESIST WITH DEADLY FORCE, in our discretion, any person who attempts to enforce the provisions of HR 1540.

    We, SHALL NOT aggress against any employee of any American government who shall not attempt to enforce or aid and abet the enforcement of HR 1540, they being as trapped as the rest of the populous.

    Such STATE OF WAR shall continue until HR 1540 is stricken from the code of law, and all who had hand in HR 1540 are brought to justice under due process of law.

    Signed and witnessed by we, the individual citizens of these United States, below:

    ReplyDelete